REPORT

Celent: Report on the impact of AI in retail lending

First Hawaiian Bank: Winner of the 2025 Celent Model Bank Award for AI-Augmented Retail Lending

Financial institutions are unlocking exponential growth by leveraging AI. First Hawaiian Bank (FHB) is a prime example, earning Celent’s 2025 Model Bank Award for AI-Augmented Retail Lending.

By partnering with Zest AI, FHB incorporated an AI-driven automated underwriting solution, critical for scaling their business and effectively serving their unique community. Their results came from a clear understanding of their challenges, well-defined success metrics, and a commitment to organization-wide transformation.

Celent details how FHB was able to solve for:

• Legacy scoring model limitations: AI replaced outdated scoring methods with accurate risk models, expanding the credit box and reducing manual underwriting.
• Dependence on manual processes: AI automated more applications, boosting instant decisioning rates from 10% to 55% in one year.
• Restricted lending growth: AI increased approval rates to 65%, enabling lending to underserved and unscorable populations.
• Resource constraints for model development: Was able to expedite model deployment to six months, avoiding lengthy in-house development.

Download the full report to learn more about FHB’s journey. If you’re interested in finding out how AI can transform your institution, schedule a call with our team.